Sanctuary
by VampirexLove
Summary: Emmett makes the decision to pop the question to Rosalie. From the ring, to the location, to the proposal, this is his story of that day! Set roughly 4 to 5 years after Rose finds Emmett.


**Author's Note: **Special thanks to our amazing beta Pompeii, and to BME who offered incredible insight and support. We'd also like to thank Irving Berlin for writing the beautiful song, Cheek to Cheek.

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of our beloved Stephenie Meyer. Although we would have loved to have the imagination to come up with this awesome series we did not! No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

Sanctuary

By VampirexLove

I sat with my elbows resting on the steering wheel. Cradled in my hands was a tiny cedar box. I gazed at the open box and sitting in the middle of what looked like a perfect white pillow was _the ring_. Gradually a ray of sun broke through the gray clouds and the glint from it shot prisms all through the interior of my car. Surely this was a good omen. A faint childhood memory rose to mind and I recalled my father quoting an old an Irish blessing, "A sunbeam to warm you, A moonbeam to charm you, A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you." Well I certainly had my angel; the sun was shinning on a symbol of my future with that angel, now all I needed was a little charm to make it through tonight.

"A little charm?" Edward snorted. "That's an understatement!" He chuckled then grinned wide at me. I was grateful that he had agreed to come with me to pick up the ring. My intentions for asking him to join me were actually two fold. First I was definitely getting a better hold on my "hunger", but it was still a struggle sometimes. And although at first it was impossible for me to be in public with humans, I was finally getting to the point where it was easier to control myself. But it was stillnice, and sometimes necessary, to have some "support", meaning Edward. He was surprisingly strong for such a small guy. And secondly he was the only other person that might possibly know Rose better than I did. I had already picked out the ring but I wanted his confirmation.

I slammed my shoulder into his. "Hey… that was a private thought!" I laughed, my face reflecting mock horror.

"Then next time think to yourself** "**_Edward this next thought is a private one_," now laughing in open mockery.

"Like that would stop you!" I teased and delicately closed the box and slid it in my pocket.

He raised one eyebrow, "Hmm, you're rightI'd probably just be more intrigued." He put his hand up on my shoulder sensing my anxiety, "Don't worry, she's going to love it." The look on his face was incredibly sincere it made my self confidence surge. I looked to Edward and smiled then threw the car intodrive and sped off to meet my angel and propose my eternal love.

I pulled into the long stretch of the driveway and removed the keys from the ignition. I didn't attempt to leave the cab and Edward noticed my slight apprehension, his hand was still frozen on the door handle.

"Is she suspecting something?" I questioned Edward. This was a very nerve racking situation and while at times Edward's ability was an annoyance, more often it was quite beneficial, especially now.

"She suspects that you have something planned, but has no idea the magnitude of it." Edward responded much to my liking. "And, yes, believe me when I say, it will definitely take her by surprise." He continued on, answering the question I had been wondering.

"Thanks for clearing that up!" I responded with a laugh. I exited my car, trudging beside Edward into our immense home. Esme sat at a table, rearranging a variety of flowers in a vase, and turned to look up at Edward and myself as we entered.

"Where have you two been?" She asked, moving away from her project and towards us. A mischievous smile played across my lips and Esme cocked her head to the side, raising her eyebrows. "What aren't you telling me?" She asked and both Edward and I broke out in laughter.

I reached into my pocket, grasping the tiny box delicately in my hand. I turned my head slowly from side to side squinting in both directions, like I was a spy about to show her something top secret. Esme laughed and slapped my forearm. I brought my fist out of my pocket and in one swift move opened both my hand and the box revealing its contents to her. She took in a deep breath as her finger gently brushed along the princess cut diamond.

"Oh, Emmett, you're going to propose? It is so beautiful! Where are you going to do it?" She questioned still gazing at the ring.

"Several months ago Rosalie and I stumbled upon this amazing waterfall near Lake Cresent. There are quite a few waterfalls around that area but none like this one. It's absolutely breathtaking, secluded, and now it's ours." I beamed.

The vision of that first discovery raced back to my mind. Rose and I had just finished a hunting trip and were about to head home when I suggested that we race. I love a good race. With her perfect brow raised she angled her head to the side and slinked towards me. She wrapped both arms lovingly around my neck and gently pulled me close. "I hope you are ready for the race of your life!" She slowly whispered into my ear, each word beautifully articulated. Then she began to kiss her way down my jaw. I closed my eyes as she inched closer to my lips. At the precise moment that I knew our lips should meet she said, "Go!" There was a small burst of air and before I could open my eyes she was gone. The anticipation had been excruciating, and I only realized that I had been leaning towards her when I stumbled, tripping over a large tree root. I heard a not so distant giggle and ran quickly in that direction.

It was exhilarating running through the forest, almost like I was flying. There where times when I closed my eyes and I swear it felt like my feet never touched the earth below them. I could never tire of this form of traveling. Up ahead there was a break in the trees and I heard the thunderous roar of water. Standing just ahead of me at the edge of shallow pond was Rosalie, her hair shimmering in the sun. She truly was the most beautiful being I had ever laid eyes on. I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. And there before us stood the most majestic waterfall I had ever seen.

The water poured over a cliff at least 90 feet tall crashing down upon some smaller rocks. From there the water gently cascaded its way down to the shallow pool where we stood. There were trees shading nearly the whole area and the aroma from the beautiful wild flowers was dizzying. The bright green moss was a perfect contrast to the white, yellow and purple flower petals that were everywhere. Some of the flowers bowed as they were gently kissed by sporadic drops of water.

"Have you ever seen anything so magnificent?" She questioned, resting her head back against my shoulder. I could tell that she was in complete awe of this place. I looked down placing a kiss on her perfect forehead and said, "Every day." She turned to face me, an angelic smile laced on her lips then she tenderly pressed them to mine. I knew that from that point on this place would be our sanctuary.

"Ahem," Edward coughed and nudged me in the ribs. That jolt brought me back to reality quicker than I would have liked. I looked at Edward and grimaced.

"So Esme, what do you think? You think she'll love it?" I sounded a little desperate.

Esme closed my hand over the box and leaned in to hug me. I had to bend down a little to embrace her properly. Once my head was close to her shoulder she turned towards my ear and whispered, "I _know_ she will Emmett, but never as much as she loves you!" She winked at me as she pulled away, and practically danced back towards the vase. I don't think I've ever seen Esme so happy.

I turned to Edward and took a deep breath. "Ok… I'm ready."

"Rosy," I loving called and began walking towards the garage. I knew she'd be tinkering there. Fixing cars was a recent diversion of hers. She found solace in the intricacies of the motor. They seemed to understand each other; it's as if the motor knew her touch would make it better. I'll never forget the look on Edwards's face the day that he walked into the garage to see the engine of his brand new Mercedes-Benz 500K disassembled and the pieces spread across the floor. It was classic! I opened the door and leaned against the wall, "Hey you want to go for a drive?" She was bending over the engine with the hood up, her hair pulled up in a sloppy bun on the top of her head.

"Sure, I could use a break. Just let me finish th-" Before she could finish her sentence I was beside her removing the tool from her hand.

"This can wait." I smirked. "I'm afraid right now I demand your full attention." I gave her a small kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Okay," She began slowly, eyeing me suspiciously. "Let me go change, should I put on anything special?" Her tone was borderline sarcastic as she folded her arms over her chest and leaned back against the car.

A booming laugh escaped my chest. "Just go already!"

"Fine, but I'm driving." She quipped.

"No way, it's my turn. Plus you don't know where we're going." I retorted

"Flip you for it?" She held a shiny coin between her fingers.

"Heads!" I called as she tossed the coin into the air.

It landed on the top of her hand and she hastily covered it, bringing her hands close to her face, not taking her eyes off me. Slowly she lifted her fingers to reveal the coin, but only so she could see. She furrowed her perfect brow, puckered her lips into a pout, and turned on her heal to leave the garage mumbling something about me always winning and how I must have flipped the coin over on her hand. I chucked as she raced upstairs to change.

I couldn't help but steal side-glances of Rosalie as I drove to our destination. Her beauty captivating me each time I gazed upon her, she stole my breath away. I could feel it deep within myself that everything would be perfect, just like the scenes I replayed over and over in my mind. Imagining the different ways I would propose and her responses that no matter how she spoke them, all meant the same thing. _Yes_.

"When are you going to tell me where we are going?" Rosalie coyly questioned me, tilting her head to the side; her hair fell around her face, profiling her beauty to a new height.

"You'll know soon," I responded, my voice just above whisper so my excitement wasn't too clearly shown through my tone. I pressed the pedal to the floor, urging my car to drive faster. It was only a few miles more until we arrived and in a flash I was at her side, opening the door for her.

I extended my hand helping her out of the car. She bent down slightly to brush the wrinkles out of her slacks. Standing behind her I could feel a breeze sweeping through the trees, like it was welcoming us in to a fine restaurant. I felt a nervous excitement beginning to grow inside me, and I thought to myself, _it's now or never_. I brushed all of her hair to one shoulder and bent down to kiss the nap of her neck. She tilted her head to the side inviting more. I lightly moved my lips up her neck to her ear. I could hear her breath becoming slightly ragged. In-between kisses I whispered, "I'll meet you at the waterfall,"

"Ok," she sighed, nodding her head, eyes closed. Before she could fully grasp it, I dashed deep into the forest, following the sound of the crashing water. I knew this place so well I could get there with my eyes closed. The trees flew by me and I effortlessly dodged between them. I could hear her footfall slowly gaining on me and I pushed myself harder. I broke through the clearing, grateful that the candles I had lit some time ago were still burning bright. Seconds later, Rosalie followed.

"That wasn't fai-" She stopped mid sentence after she glanced around the clearing. Hundreds of candles were situated on every free, dry, space available. Despite the fact that I could have possibly caused a huge forest fire; the most important thing was to impress her. There was a table and two chairs set just in front of the waterfall, with two dozen fresh cut crimson red roses held in a large crystal vase, one of her favorites.  
"Oh, Emmett," she murmured. She stood there, her mouth hung slightly open in awe, taking in all that was before her, and I sauntered behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"Yes, Love?" I felt a surge of pride.

"I'm… speechless…" She trailed off then walked over to the table to admire the roses. She leaned towards them and inhaled deeply. I was frozen where I stood, and could feel my nerves getting the best of me. If I were still human I knew I'd be sweating all over the place. _That's one perk_, I thought to myself, it's a little easier this way to disguise my panic. She looked up at me with those huge gorgeous eyes, "What's all this for?" She turned to face me and I could tell she was in complete admiration for what I had accomplished. It wasn't every day I was _this_ romantic.

"I wanted to spend a romantic evening with the love of my life." I winked and opened my arms. She didn't hesitate, in a flash she was next to me wrapping her arms underneath mine, and nestling her head under my chin.

"Just when I thought that this place couldn't be any more stunning, you turn around and do this. It's beautiful! Thank you Emmett." Sincerity dripped from each word.

I held her tight and kissed the top of her head. Ever so gently we started to sway. I was thrilled that she moved to match my rhythm and didn't pull away. I began to hum one of my favorite songs and never before did the words seem so appropriate than right at this very moment. I relaxed my hug and reached around my back to take hold of her right hand. I delicately cupped it in mine bringing it close to our chests, still hugging her tightly with the other arm. The lyrics slowly escaped my lips as I sung in her ear, "Heaven, I'm in heaven. And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak. And I seem to find the happiness I seek, when we're out together dancing cheek to cheek." I kissed her fingers that were interlaced with mine then lifted her arm above her head and lead her into a slow turn. She was a natural dancer and followed my lead with incredible grace. I pulled her back close to me, she was grinning widely. I hummed a few more bars of the song and then ended with a one armed dip.

She beamed up at me. Her eyes twinkled from the reflecting flicker of the nearby flames. With my free hand I began outlining the features of her flawless porcelain face. I gently brushed my finger over her right brow and then down her check bone. She closed her eyes and I ran my finger down her nose resting it on her lips. She puckered them slightly, but I continued down her chin to her neck. Slowly I weaved my finger back and forth down her neck, as I reached the bottom, her chest rose. Excitement, anticipation and passion were building inside me and I leaned in pressing my lips firmly to hers. She threw her free arm around my neck and weaved her fingers into my hair pushing my face to hers. I slid my hand along the length of her side. Once I met her waist I smoothly lifted her from our dip into a standing position, never letting our lips disconnect for a second. She pressed her body against mine sending a flood of unimaginable passion surging through my body. I clenched the back of her shirt and hugged her tightly lifting her a few inches off the ground. She began to wrap her legs around my waist and her knee gently knocked the tiny box in my pocket. Remembering the real reason I'd brought her here, I gently put her back down, and reluctantly, pulled away from her kiss resting my forehead against hers. We were both breathing heavily but I managed to mumble, "Rose, I have something for you."

Taking both hands I lead her over to the table at the edge of the water pool and motioned for her to sit in one of the chairs.

"You got me a present too?" Her eyes were filled with excitement and her expression made me chuckle. She was wide eyed, grinning ear to ear and almost bouncing in her seat. She looked like a child in a candy shop.

"I picked you up a little something special, yes." I reached into my pocket and clutched the little cedar box that had been burning at my side all evening and bent down on one knee in front of her. Her expression slowly changed from excitement to wonder. She watched me very intently never taking her eyes from mine and bit her bottom lip. I grinned at her diminutive expression of nervousness. It was rare that you ever saw Rose nervous and this was one of the only signs to ever give it away. I loved when you could get a brief glimpse at her vulnerability; it was one of the sweetest things about her. With my free hand I brushed her hair away from her face, I realized I was trembling ever so slightly and hoped she hadn't noticed.

"I will never forget the first moment I saw you Rose. I couldn't take my eyes off you then, and still can't for that matter. I was certain you were a heavenly messenger, but couldn't understand why you were allowed to take me away to the depths of hell." I chuckled. "I remember feeling completely hypnotized by your beauty. The pain I was in meant nothing as long as I could be with you. Every second was a gift from God. As it turns out I wasn't to far off, every second with you is a gift, Rosy, my angel." I winked at her and gradually pulled the ring box from my pocket opening it in front of her. For the first time her eyes left mine and her mouth fell open a little. "Rosalie Lillian Hale, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" She sat awe struck; I had obviously accomplished my goal. Like Edward had said, she was beyond surprised. Taking advantage of the moment, I carefully removed the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger. I tenderly brought her hand to my lips kissing it. Then looking up I whispered, "I promise to cherish you forever!"

She enfolded me in her arms, burying her face against my broad chest and I embraced her back tightly. She pulled back, gently laying the palm of her hand against my cheek as she gazed intently into my eyes. "I love you, Emmett," She spoke so tenderly and melodiously. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against mine, and I could feel the answer in her. It screamed, _yes_!

We spend the next several hours lying in front of the water wrapped in each others arms. I had to use the tablecloth as a ground covering because I'd forgotten the blanket, although she didn't seem to mind at all. She helped me lay it down and gave me a peck on the check. At times we'd talk and share our human memories. Sometimes we'd just listen to the roar of our waterfall. Then there where the brief moments when I'd see Rose hold her hand out and admire the ring. Slowly rotating her hand from side to side so she could see the diamond sparkle as the light from the flames bounced off it. I felt a sense of joy I had never before experienced. Then I realized that this happiness was caused by the love I felt for her, and the love that she graciously returned. I hugged her tighter, kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you."


End file.
